Transmutation

In some works by Rivera the “design” or basic variation that constitutes the subject takes the form of a solid, which is cut out from metallic cloth and stands out against a neutral background. In other cases, as in the present Transmutation, the motif is presented in negative, as a void against the thick background mesh. The artist’s intention here is to present the viewer with the ambiguity of the famous Gestalt images, which can be read in both a positive and a negative optical sense.